Chapter 4
Around the time when the imperial capital gradually begins to bustle with activity.
Artesia’s daily routine was to wake up a little before that time.
However, this wasn’t due to habit or lifestyle patterns.
“………………”
After rising from her bed, Artesia lightly checked her body’s condition.
There was no drowsiness, fatigue, or hunger whatsoever.
Most of Artesia’s physical body was halted by her unique magic.
While the human body deteriorates and declines as [time] passes, Artesia uses [time]-based unique magic to interfere with the part where “the body deteriorates and decays as [time] passes,” so her thinking and bodily functions aren’t restricted.
Other aspects are also achieved by interfering with [time]-related parts such as “you get hungry as time passes” or “you get sleepy as time passes.”
But—
“Today, it’s working properly, isn’t it?”
She lightly moved both hands, confirming they were functioning correctly.
Simply put, unique magic is “a power where you can decide its effect at your own discretion.”
Although there are many unclear aspects regarding the principles and laws of unique magic, phenomena other than what one decides should never occur.
That’s why, as long as her magical power continued, it should have been a power she could reliably exercise—but one day, there was a moment when her hand stopped moving for just an instant as if frozen.
Other phenomena that had never occurred before began happening frequently: feeling fatigue that shouldn’t accumulate, fingers that shouldn’t be injured getting cut and bleeding.
After receiving this inexplicable symptom and a diagnosis from the imperial physician stating “a decrease in magical power is observed,” she now suppresses the symptoms by interfering with content like “magical power decreases as time passes.”
Since unique magic is also an ability that requires magical power, interfering with her own magical power could potentially lead to unintended results… but she still had to verify it.
“If this doesn’t work, then I myself have reached my limit.”
Looking at her own hands, Artesia laughs with self-mockery.
After all, having lived for over three hundred years, Artesia has already departed from human reason.
Even though there were circumstances, continuing such reckless behavior would naturally lead to a day of breakdown, and rather, maintaining it for three hundred years could be called a miracle.
That’s why—Artesia decided to raise a successor in preparation for her own death.
The house of Eisenhud would completely disappear, but she wanted to entrust the will and feelings they had inherited to someone.
However, the situation progressed in a direction different from Artesia’s expectations.
“I wonder where that child is and what he’s doing right now.”
A boy she had only met twice.
While recalling his figure, Artesia shows a slight smile.
Though she spoke vaguely in front of Klaus, she was certain that Kurtz was undoubtedly connected to Eisenhud… and moreover, to Artesia herself.
Currently, opportunities to obtain information about Eisenhud are limited.
While there might be opportunities to obtain information about names, past achievements, and the [Race Hunt] from three hundred years ago, only Artesia, who grasps the head of house and the house itself, knows the codes and ciphers used among Eisenhud’s comrades even now.
[The family name he will later receive is planned to be—”Achimenes”]
The word [Achimenes] that he will receive as his family name has the flower language meaning “I will save you,” and in Eisenhud it was used to mean “total war to save comrades.”
In the first place, [Achimenes] is an ancient word not used in the current empire, and there’s no way a poor boy who received no education would know it.
While the possibility that he heard it somewhere by chance and liked the sound enough to use it as a family name cannot be denied, it would be too convenient to be coincidental.
And if Kurtz’s words weren’t coincidental—
“—Surely, that person truly trusted that child.”
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Perhaps in a different timeline, Kurtz was picked up by Artesia and became someone she trusted enough to entrust her unique magic to at the very end.
About the time spent with him, the current Artesia knows nothing.
Even now, he’s like a stranger she knows nothing about except the name Kurtz.
Still, there’s one thing she can say.
“We of Eisenhud are bound by bonds thicker than blood and wills harder than iron. No matter how many years pass, even in the distant future, they will never decay for eternity.”
Eisenhud’s proclaimed [Iron Blood Oath].
If she is the head who proclaims that oath, then believing his words would be reasonable.
“……Well, there’s nothing I can do anyway.”
Frankly speaking, Artesia’s current situation is no different from a prisoner’s.
The minimum supplies and food necessary for life are regularly delivered to the mansion, and cleaning is regularly done by servants working in the imperial castle, but she cannot leave her room during those times.
When she wants something, she must submit a request in advance, and after inspection, it’s delivered to the mansion. When the bell at the mansion gate announces a visitor, she must return to her room and cannot leave until the bell announces their departure.
She can leave the mansion once a month, outings are limited to two hours, during outings she must wear magical tools that can specify her current location and record her actions, plus magical tools for recognition interference to avoid leaving impressions on others, and except in emergencies, Artesia is forbidden from initiating contact with others.
In Kurtz’s case, she saw him being beaten by adults living in the same slums and judged his life was in danger, so she made contact, but except for such situations, she doesn’t even converse with others.
Other than outings, she only responds to Klaus’s summons, and since she’s under house arrest at the mansion for all other times, it’s no different from being a well-treated prisoner.
So—
“I suppose I’ll drink tea and read a book today as well……”
Just as she murmured while lightly stretching her body, the bell announcing a visitor rang.
However, immediately after, the departure bell rang out.
“Ah……come to think of it, today was the day the newspapers arrive.”
Guessing from the interval between the bell sounds, Artesia lightly tidied her appearance and left her room.
This was one of the few requests Artesia had made.
[Deliver all newspapers published in the imperial capital to the mansion]
Initially, most of the ducal houses opposed this as it could become a source of information, but due to a suggestion from the emperor’s side that “in order to properly fulfill the role of protecting the emperor, one should know the minimum current situation,” newspaper delivery was permitted under conditions.
Therefore, depending on the content, censorship would occur, and instead of daily delivery, newspapers published in the previous month would be delivered together at the beginning of the month, so there was no freshness to the information. However, not only did the range of information sources expand, but just being able to obtain reading material other than books and documents was sufficient for Artesia.
Now, reading through all the newspapers while preparing her favorite black tea with scones and jam for leisurely sunbathing had become one of Artesia’s daily routines.
“First… the follow-up report on the Fleet Volcano eruption, I suppose. It seems there wasn’t major damage to the empire’s territory, but there might be subsequent effects.”
She reached for the box placed in the entrance hall, sorting through newspapers with headlines related to the eruption.
Among them—one newspaper article caught Artesia’s eye.
[The keen eye of a young merchant who saved disaster victims behind the great eruption]
The article described the aftermath of the eruption.
[The renowned Mercator Grand Trading Company of the north, whose daughter provided extensive support to disaster victims]
[In the Green Forest Nation Sylvayu’s territorial lands, Edel-Mercator proposed accepting disaster victims to the lord, and the lord readily agreed to acceptance and support, realizing comprehensive protection and support for disaster victims through their cooperation]
[Subsequently, Edel-Mercator launched a new mining venture through the Benedict Trading Company she owns, concluding employment contracts with residents of Vechta Village who were affected by the Fleet Volcano eruption, demonstrating a generous stance of providing continued support]
[Seeing such compassionate actions, the gods must have smiled upon her]
[Immediately after starting the mining venture, she was blessed with the fortune of discovering large-scale gold veins, and achieved great success by discovering various mineral veins one after another]
[Due to this exceptional situation, intervention by the main Mercator house also occurred, and Edel-Mercator officially announced that the Benedict Trading Company’s base would be relocated to conduct main transactions with the empire rather than the northern regions or demi-human territories]
After such a splendid article, a statement was published along with a photo of a woman with a cold expression who showed joy by slightly raising her finger.
The content itself was innocuous, aimed at the general public, but—
[—I hope these words reach my dear friend along with the fragrance of Celcis flowers]
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